RJ Reynolds told to pay wife of cancer victim $23.6bn

[super jumbe]

A US court has ordered the country's second largest cigarette company to pay $23.6 billion (?13.8bn) to the wife of a smoker who died of lung cancer.

RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company was hit with the punitive fine in addition to $16.8m (?9.8m) in compensatory damages.

Cynthia Robinson took action against the firm in 2008, seeking compensation for her husband's death in 1996.

An official at the company said the court's verdict was "far beyond the realm of reasonableness and fairness".

During the four-week trial, lawyers for Ms Robinson argued that RJ

Reynolds was negligent in informing consumers of the dangers of consuming tobacco.

This negligence, the lawyers said, led to her husband Michael Johnson Sr contracting lung cancer from smoking after becoming "addicted" and failing multiple attempts to quit.

"RJ Reynolds took a calculated risk by manufacturing cigarettes and selling them to consumers without properly informing them of the hazards," Ms Robinson's lawyer Willie Gary said.

"We hope that this verdict will send a message to RJ Reynolds and other big tobacco companies that will force them to stop putting the lives of innocent people in jeopardy," he added.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-28389273

[Meat-Head]

FfFfs (iShit Failiure)

hello, is that the gun and bullet factory can you stop making guns and bullets before somebody is killed?


what he smoke. And played with aspeztos as well?

[ifred]

Well I hope she split the money with all the millions of other victims
IMO she'd just go and buy a toyboy for each day of the weeks !!?
Yanks are crazy!

[GastonJ]

During the four-week trial, lawyers for Ms Robinson argued that RJ Reynolds was negligent in informing consumers of the dangers of consuming tobacco.

Even though I smoke (and am trying to find a way to quit) I do think the messages on cig packets are very clear, even in the US, they even have pictures for those illiterate ckers who didn't attend school *shrug* It'll go to appeal anyway since the companies have already paid for the days when warnings weren't on packets.

[super jumbe]

Warning for other manufactures!!!

[super jumbe]

If you happen to jump from a 10 storey building and lived, broken legs, back, hands, etc, you can go and get compensation for injuries to the building architects.

[GastonJ]

If you happen to jump from a 10 storey building and lived, broken legs, back, hands, etc, you can go and get compensation for injuries to the building architects.

In the US anything is possible. They need to put up signs like "This building is high and you will hurt yourself if you leap off", or "This motorcycle is fast and you will die if you crash" on any motorcycle capable of more than 5mph. Mind you the UK is going the same way, it's only a matter of time before the ambulance chasers make it that way.

[Meat-Head]

Crasy this sueing lark. This post is sponsered by

"Tomas and Sven Soliciters, winning you compensation and putting the price up fir everybody else"

[super jumbe]

If they can get compensation from dead Jimmy Savile you need say no more, do you think if Jimmy was bankrupted at the time of death would any one bothered to presume compensation???